Argentinian recs?

Some friends and I will be heading to Buenos Aires the week of Thanksgiving. Thought we'd check out some restaurants in the city to get into mood. Can anyone recommend some good Argentinian places to check out? Willing to travel.

Respectfully, Novecento (chain restaurant with locations in Argentina, Uruguay, and Miami serving "international cuisine") is considered a joke by most Porteños. At both their Soho and Las Cañitas locations I've found tourist traps with second-tier beef and awful service.

It's possible my relationship with Novecento has been colored by the six months I spent in Argentina. The Buenos Aires locations are definite tourist traps. Haven't had the ribeye--maybe that's a cut in which they excel.

I second your experience--- terrific hanger steak, no complaints at all. That the owner also opened in Miami doesn't make this a "chain," a word I associate with corporate restaurants like Ruth's Chris or Applebee's...

If you're really interested in an Argentinian experience, you're better off in Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights in Queens, where there's actually an Argentinian community and a variety of restaurants, bakeries, pizzerias, etc.

In general, do you have an opinion about how Azul's food compares to La Rural's? So far, no-one has answered my question of whether there's a place further downtown in Manhattan that's as good or better than La Rural.

I'll dissent on Azul. It's fine for what it is, and it can be a fun LES cool experience, but when I went there for a friend's birthday gathering, I wished I was at one of the Argentine steakhouses in Corona, Queens, where the food is better and you get better value for your money. If you're willing to travel, go out to the Argentine neighborhood to get your fill of the culture.

Unfortunately, not many of the Argentine places in Corona (Esquina Criolla, El Gauchito, along with the other Argentine bakeries, empanada joints, etc.) are not very close to a subway. The closest thing to an Argentine neighborhood with a concentration of businesses in NYC might be at Corona Ave/Junction Ave. To find something closer to a subway, the neighboring areas of Jackson Heights is probably a better choice with places like La Porteña, La Fusta, Chivito d'Oro, or La Cabaña. Or you can try neighboring Elmhurst for places like Parrillada Mi Tío, Boca Junior. I like pretty much prefer all these places to the ones in Manhattan.